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Jersey Hockey Club has been granted £40,000 from the Tourism Development Fund (TDF) to help improve its facilities. It's one of three projects to be supported, along with the Lido at Havre des Pas and the inaugural Jersey Style Awards.
The Lido will receive up to £39,815 to improve existing infrastructure and increase the capacity of the venue, while a £20,000 sponsorship package has been granted to the Awards, which will be held for the first time in June.
The Hockey Club, which received over 70 teams in the last three years, aims to build "...a hockey centre of excellence and to increase its capacity to host visiting sides and tournaments." Its new club house, for which planning approval has already been granted, is set to open for the 2017/2018 season and will include audio visual facilities for video review and training sessions. The club also wants to extend its playing area and will take over the operation of Les Quennevais hockey pitch from the States.
While the Tourism Development Fund does not usually contribute to sports development, the panel which reviews the funding applications stated that the Hockey Club's project was in line with the "event-led strategy" and "had the potential to have a wider beneficial impact on the Island."
Kevin Keen, the Panel's Chairman, explained that he did not feel the decision was "controversial" as the project, which was presented in a "...very thorough, professional way", would benefit not only the club but the whole Island. He told Express: "The club is going to be improving an asset that belongs to the public as the pitch belongs to the States. They will be creating a permanent asset for the benefit of everyone and this benefit will go on for long."
The extension of the club will enable it to meet international events requirements and officials hope it will help increase the annual number of visitors from 650 to 1,000. Paul Masterton, the President of Jersey Hockey Limited, welcomed the announcement. He said: “Jersey Hockey is delighted and very grateful for this significant contribution from the Tourism Development Fund to our clubhouse project.
"Hockey is a growing and successful sport, both in Jersey and internationally, and our new facility will enable us to attract many more teams to the island for competitive matches and for tours. This is aligned with Visit Jersey’s strategy for increased sports tourism and will certainly benefit the local economy."
A grant of up to £39,815 has been agreed to support the Lido (Havre des Pas) Limited (formerly the bathing pool) for improvements to its infrastructure and to increase the capacity of the venue as well as installing an exhibit which depicts the history of the iconic venue.
A sponsorship package of £20,000 has been agreed for the first annual Jersey Style Awards, to be held in June. Organiser, Dr. Tessa Hartmann, commented: “There is no doubt that event led marketing helps drive national and international awareness. Our objective is to showcase the best businesses across the tourism, culture, arts, retail and style arena that hail from Jersey, to a national and international audience. Our social media, PR campaign and luxury brand partners will help change the conversation about Jersey in the national media. The support from the Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Department and the TDF will allow us to deliver these objectives in an innovative and creative manner and we are very grateful for their support.”
Mr Keen also commented on the variety of projects to have received funding. He explained: "There are difficult to compare as there are so different and diverse but they are all important. The Lido belongs to the Island, it is a fantastic asset that needs to be put used more actively while the Style awards are a completely new initiative. It's all good news for the Island that people are investing time, effort and their own money into making those projects work."
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